Best Verizon phones in 2023

Verizon’s award-winning LTE and growing 5G networks have the coverage and speed many Android users seek. But to get the most out of it, you need the right phone with the right bands. While LTE is still fine for most people and 5G isn’t a good enough reason to upgrade to Verizon, your next phone should support 5G. In the next few years, Verizon will continue expanding its 5G coverage and improving speeds with more widespread mid-band deployment.

Luckily for Verizon customers, a wide range of phones are available with all the bands necessary for strong 5G performance. For those who prefer Android, the Google Pixel 7 Pro is an excellent pick with frequent updates, cool new AI features like Call Assist, and one of the best camera systems on any phone. The Pixel 7 Pro also supports Verizon’s full 5G network, including C-band and mmWave coverage.

Our top Android picks for Verizon’s LTE and 5G network

The Pixel 7 Pro from Google is an excellent phone on any carrier thanks to its strong band support with the Tensor G2 chipset. It’s also among the best Android phones overall due to its high-end hardware and excellent software. Google keeps the Pixel 7 Pro updated with the latest builds of Android, plus it’s the lead platform for many of Google’s AI projects, such as Call Assist, which means it can transcribe voices in automated calling. Its camera software also keeps photos vibrant and sharp.

Speaking of cameras, the Pixel 7 Pro is more than just software trickery. It has a 50MP main camera for the majority of your shots alongside a 12MP ultrawide shooter and a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Working with the camera app, you can get sharp and vibrant images with accurate skin tones in a wide variety of lighting.

Verizon network support is strong, with 5G support for all of Verizon’s bands. That includes its nationwide 5G coverage on lower bands as well as its much faster C-band and mmWave coverage. Perhaps the best reason to pick a Pixel is the software. Google keeps its Pixel phones up to date with frequent Android updates, ensuring you have the latest features and security updates. Google has promised five years of Pixel updates for the Pixel 7 series, so it has greater longevity and can be passed down or sold when you’re ready to upgrade.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra isn’t the most exciting phone you can buy; it’s more of an evolution of the S22 Ultra rather than a brand-new design. Even so, the S23 Ultra has some of the best hardware you can get, with a massive 6.8-inch AMOLED display and an S Pen stored in the phone. It’s kept running smoothly with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU and either 8GB or 12GB of RAM.

The camera system is one of the most impressive things about the Galaxy S23 Ultra. You get a four-camera system with a 200MP main camera on the back. There’s also a 12MP wide camera and two telephoto cameras with 3x or 10x optical zoom. In our Galaxy S23 Ultra review, we saw some excellent results though some shutter lag was noticed on fast-moving objects. This is an ideal camera for landscape photography, but not necessarily for the soccer game.

As expected, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has full support for Verizon’s 5G network, including mmWave and C-band coverage. As a result, you’ll always get the best speeds possible with your Verizon plan. It also means that you’re ready for most of the coverage and speed improvements Verizon has in the works for its 5G network.

Samsung launched this phone with Android 13, making it up-to-date right out of the gate. In addition, Samsung has promised five years of updates with four Android version updates, so you can feel confident buying this phone to use for multiple years.

The Google Pixel 6a may be the ultimate mid-range phone thanks largely to the Google Tensor CPU under the hood. While it’s not as performant as the latest G2 revision, it still has plenty of speed for just about anything you can do on Android. You get 6GB of RAM and a 4,400mAh battery; however, as our Pixel 6a review notes, wireless charging is not included. While it’s not perfect, the price makes it an incredible value, especially if you find it on sale.

The version Verizon sells has full support for its 5G network, including mmWave and C-band, making you ready for Verizon’s best speeds and upcoming 5G network upgrades. If you like to buy your phones unlocked, get the version with mmWave to take advantage of Verizon’s full network, especially if you pay for a plan with Ultra Wideband 5G.

This Pixel phone will get frequent Android updates and has already been updated with Android 13. Google has promised five years of Android updates beginning with its mid-2022 release, so you’ll have the latest security patches and features for years. One thing to consider is that the Pixel 7a has been released and offers a good middle-ground between the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 7 if you have some leftover budget.

If you sit down with a pen and paper to determine the best value for your money, you won’t buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. That said, the Z Fold 4 is the refinement of one of Samsung’s most significant products ever and a joy to use. It has a reasonably large 6.2-inch display outside and a gigantic 7.6-inch OLED panel inside. The internal panel is more square than wide making it great for multitasking and taking notes.

It’s powered by the beefy Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and has a 4,400mAh battery pack. The 25-watt wired charging speed is a bit of a disappointment for power users, but with 15-watt wireless caring, it’s easy to keep topped up. Around the back, you get a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera.

On Verizon, you get full support for 5G, including C-band and mmWave. So this phone is ready for the best speeds on Verizon, which is prudent given how popular this phone has become with business people.

Samsung offers the same sort of update promise as its Galaxy S phones, with four OS updates promised and five years of security updates. This phone launched with Android 12L and is already upgradeable to Android 13.

The Google Pixel 7 shares a lot in common with its Pro older sibling. It’s a great value at a lower price, with the same Google Tensor G2 CPU. It also has 8GB of RAM, so it’s fast. The display is a modestly-sized 6.3-inch 90Hz AMOLED panel that looks great running Android 13. It has a somewhat large 4,330mAh battery life and supports 20-watt wired and wireless charging. This is a bit slower than we’d like to see, but it should still be fine for most people.

With a 50MP main camera and 12MP ultra-wide camera, the Pixel 7 delivers the same great photo quality as the Pixel 7 Pro, though it lacks a telephoto camera. Still, this basic camera setup is perfect for most people and produces some of the best images of any smartphone.

It also has full support for Verizon 5G network, including C-band and mmWave, meaning you’ll get the best speeds possible on Verizon’s network if your plan supports it. The Pixel 7 comes with Android 13 and will be among the first to get Android 14, thanks to Google’s promise to keep it up-to-date for five years. This also means this phone will get the latest security updates, so you can feel confident using it for years.

While the S23 Ultra has done its very best to steal the spotlight, the base Samsung Galaxy S23 is still an excellent phone. If you like a smaller phone, it’s one of the best on Verizon. This phone has a sensible 6.1-inch AMOLED display that’s sharp and vibrant, as well as a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, so it’s as fast as Android 13 gets.

Although the cameras take a rational step back to a three-camera array, the photos are still among the best of any smartphone. The main camera comes in at 50MP alongside a 12MP ultra-wide shooter and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. With Samsung’s camera software, pictures are sharp and vibrant in a wide variety of conditions, including low-light photography.

On Verizon, you get full C-band and mmWave 5G support. With the Galaxy S23, you’re ready for the best of Verizon networking.

This phone will receive four Android updates from Samsung, so you can keep using it for years to come without falling behind in terms of software. Samsung also includes all of its best Know features with the S23 series for better security, such as private folders. If you’re looking for a small phone with plenty of Verizon power, the Galaxy S23 should be at the top of your list. It’s also worth mentioning that the slightly larger Galaxy S23+ is available and brings with it a large display without the Ultra price tag.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G continues with the formula established by the mid-range series but manages to clean up a lot of rough edges that hampered the experience in the previous generation. As we saw in our Galaxy A54 5G review, the Exynos 1380 SoC powering this phone helps the A54 eliminate the lag present on the older A53 without increasing the cost. Samsung has wrapped the phone in Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, further improving the look and feel. It’s even IP67 rated for water resistance, so you don’t need to panic if you get caught in the rain or fall in a lake, as long as you can swim.

As expected from Samsung, the 6.4-inch AMOLED panel is sharp, and while our hands-on testing notes exaggerated colors, it looks great. Using the phone feels responsive thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate. The camera system is also decent, with a 50MP main sensor working well in good lighting and putting up a solid effort in low-light conditions. You can photograph to your heart’s content with microSD-expandable storage as well. Unfortunately, there is no headphone jack. The software is Samsung’s OneUi 5.1 on top of Android 13, so you’re running the latest OS out of the box.

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is a budget phone, but it’s well-designed and has enough power for smooth performance with the Mediatek Dimensity 700 CPU with 4GB of RAM running Android 13. And although it only comes with 64GB of storage, it can be expanded with a MicroSD card. The A14 5G also has solid cameras for the price, with a 50MP main shooter delivering nice photos in good lighting.

While this phone lacks mmWave 5G support, it still has C-band support, which will make up most of Verizon’s fast 5G network in the coming years. If you live in the country or a small town, there’s a good chance you’ll never miss mmWave at all, as it’s limited to dense urban areas.

As mentioned, this phone ships with Android 13 from the start, so you won’t need to do any big updates to get it up and running. Though it does not have the same feature-rich build as the Galaxy S phones, it’s still a strong version of Android. Furthermore, Samsung promised two Android version updates and four years of security updates, so realistically, Samsung will probably support this phone longer than you’ll end up keeping it.

Pick the right phone for your Verizon plan

While Verizon’s network isn’t quite as friendly towards unlocked phones as AT&T and T-Mobile, the carrier’s prominence means that most of the best Android phones will work on its network. It’s also worth mentioning that Verizon has some of its own phone versions bearing the UW suffix, meaning it’s ready for Verizon’s mmWave 5G coverage. Still, Verizon’s most significant coverage comes from C-band with band n77, which most new phones support, even the cheap ones.

The Pixel 7 Pro is one of the best phones you can buy regardless of brand, OS, or carrier; it takes the top spot on Verizon. With its fast Tensor G2 CPU and associated modem upgrades, it doesn’t have any of the coverage issues of its predecessor. In fact, it is one of the best phones to use with Verizon’s network. And with frequent Android updates, it’s a great phone for anyone who prefers Android.

If you’re looking for something cheaper, you’ve got a few options. First and foremost, the Pixel 6a has great performance, a strong update plan, and excellent cameras. For the few compromises you make with this phone, the price is hard to beat. Not only that, but the Pixel 6a has a premium look and feel — even though you’re saving money, your phone feels premium.

Should I upgrade my Verizon plan?

Verizon’s plans are annoyingly complex, and you’ll need one of its pricier plans to get the most out of your new 5G-enabled phone. If you’re signing up for the first time, Unlimited Plus has Verizon’s full 5G speeds with Ultra Wideband 5G. Ultra Wideband includes Verizon’s mid-band and mmWave coverage, which is still mostly limited to cities and suburban areas. Even so, Verizon is consistently expanding its coverage. So if you want to get the best speeds on your new phone, you’ll want a plan that supports Ultra Wideband.

If you’re already a Verizon customer, you’ll get Ultra Wideband support on One Unlimited for iPhone, 5G Play More, 5G Do More, and 5G Get More plans. Check

Verizon’s coverage map

to see if your area has the latest 5G coverage. Keep in mind that Verizon’s LTE network and its nationwide 5G coverage are still fast enough for streaming and browsing, so your network should be more than adequate even if you don’t have Ultra Wideband 5G.

A word about payment plans

If you buy your phone from Verizon, you’re looking at a long 36-month payment plan. Verizon offers a lot of promotions and discounts on new phones, but the fine print is that those discounts are applied over 36 monthly bill credits. Verizon also requires one of its more expensive plans for some of its deals, especially regarding upgrades.

If you plan out your payments, you can save a lot of cash with these discounts, even if you decide to pay your phone off early. Just note that you will need to pay for the phone if you decide to switch carriers before those 36 months are up. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and Verizon is getting three years of plan payments from you in a time of unprecedented wireless competition.